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Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear

Manual for the marking of fishing gear – Suppl. 2










Einarsson, H., He, P. & Lansley, J. 2023. Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear – Manual for the marking of fishing gear. Suppl. 2. Rome, FAO.





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    Book (stand-alone)
    Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear
    A framework for conducting a risk assessment for a system on the marking of fishing gear. Suppl. 1
    2023
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    This document is a supplement to the Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear (VGMFG; FAO, 2019), and provides a framework for conducting a risk assessment to assist in determining the need for, and requirements of, a system for the marking of fishing gear. The development of this document was based on principles outlined in the Annex of the VGMFG and guided by the results of a pilot project for risk assessment on the marking of fishing gear conducted in Grenada. The marking of fishing gear contributes to sustainable fisheries, improving the state of the marine and freshwater environments by combatting, minimizing, and eliminating abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG); it also facilitates the identification and recovery of such gear. In addition, fishing gear marking supports fisheries management and can be used as a tool in the identification of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. This manual is intended to assist fisheries managers, fishing gear manufacturers and the fisheries sector to meet the relevant international, regional or national obligations for gear marking. More specifically, it enables all stakeholders to comply with the specific gear marking requirements outlined in the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, as well as in other international instruments and agreements. Organizations or parties concerned with, or actively addressing the issue of ALDFG may also find the information in this publication useful.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear / Directives volontaires sur le marquage des engins de pêche / Directrices voluntarias sobre el marcado de las artes de pesca 2019
    The Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear are a tool to contribute to sustainable fisheries, to improve the state of the marine environment, and to enhance safety at sea by combatting, minimizing and eliminating abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) and facilitating the identification and recovery of such gear. The Guidelines assist fisheries management and can be used as a tool in the identification of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. The Guidelines address the purpose and principles, the scope of application and the implementation of a gear marking system and its associated components, including reporting, recovery and disposal of ALDFG or unwanted fishing gear and commercial traceability of fishing gear. The Guidelines also contain special considerations for developing States and small-scale fisheries with a view to capacity development, as well as guidance on conducting a risk-based approach to implementing gear marking systems. The Guidelines are expected to assist States in meeting their obligations under international law, including relevant international agreements and related governance frameworks and the specific requirements for gear marking contained in FAO’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Les Directives volontaires sur le marquage des engins de pêche constituent un outil permettant de contribuer à la pêche durable, d'améliorer l'état de l'environnement marin et de renforcer la sécurité en mer en combattant, réduisant et éliminant les engins de pêche abandonnés, perdus ou rejetés (ALDFG) mais également de faciliter l'identification et la récupération de ces engins. Les Directives favorisent la gestion de la pêche et peuvent être utilisées pour identifier les activités de pêche illégales, non déclarées et non réglementées (INDNR). Les Directives traitent de l'objectif et des principes, du champ d'application et de la mise en œuvre d'un système de marquage des engins et de l’ensemble de ses composantes, notamment la notification, la récupération et l'élimination des ALDFG ou des engins de pêche indésirables ainsi que de la traçabilité commerciale du marquage des engins de pêche. Les Directives contiennent également des considérations spéciales pour les États en développement et les pêcheries artisanales pour le renforcement des capacités, ainsi que des orientations sur le développement d'une approche fondée sur les risques pour la mise en œuvre de systèmes de marquage des engins. Les Directives devraient aider les États à s’acquitter de leurs obligations en vertu du droit international, notamment des accords internationaux pertinents et des cadres de gouvernance connexes, ainsi que des exigences spécifiques en matière de marquage des engins figurant dans le Code de conduite de la FAO pour une pêche responsable. Las Directrices voluntarias sobre el marcado de las artes de pesca son un instrumento que contribuye a la pesca sostenible, a mejorar las condiciones del ambiente marino y a consolidar la seguridad en el mar, combatiendo, reduciendo al mínimo y eliminando los ALDFG y facilitando la identificación y recuperación de dichos aparejos. Estas Directrices contribuyen a la ordenación pesquera y se pueden utilizar como herramienta para identificar las actividades de pesca ilegal, no declarada y no reglamentada (pesca INDNR). Asimismo, abordan las finalidades y principios, el ámbito de la aplicación y la implementación de un sistema de marcado las artes de pesca y sus componentes conexos, incluidas la presentación de informes, la recuperación y la eliminación de los ALDFG. Contienen, además, consideraciones especiales para los Estados en desarrollo y los pescadores artesanales con miras al desarrollo de capacidad, además de orientaciones para conducir enfoques basados en los riesgos para aplicar los sistemas de marcado de las artes de pesca. Se espera que estas Directrices ayuden a los Estados a cumplir sus obligaciones derivadas del Derecho internacional, incluidos los acuerdos internacionales relevantes y los marcos de gobernanza conexos, además de los requisitos específicos para el marcado de las artes de pesca, estipulados en el Código de Conducta de la FAO para la Pesca Responsable (CCPR).
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    Book (series)
    Operationalization of FAO Voluntary Guidelines for the Marking of Fishing Gear in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) area of competence 2022
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    A system for the marking of fishing gear should be an integral part of fisheries management. The marking of fishing gear is an important tool to reduce gear loss and aid recovery, helps in determining ownership, assists in the management and control of fishing effort, facilitates monitoring, control and surveillance, and deters IUU fishing. The marking of fishing gear also contributes to safe navigation. This document evaluates the major fishing gears that harvest species under the management of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) through a risk assessment to determine the level of complexity when implementing a system of fishing gear marking. The analysis includes five types of fishing gear, which account for 90 percent of fish landings in the IOTC area of competence, as well as two types of fish aggregating device (FAD). Purse seines, drift gillnets, and drifting FADs are deemed to have “high” or “very high” overall risks, while anchored FADs have “medium” risks, and handline, pole-and-line and trolling lines have “very low” risks. Based on the evaluation, the document proposed a framework for marking these fishing gears and FADs, based on the principles outlined in the FAO Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear. It also provides an indicative economic assessment for implementing a system of fishing gear marking in the IOTC area, based on the responsibilities between the IOTC Secretariat, the Contracting Parties and Cooperating Non-contracting Parties (CPCs), and fishing operators (fishers, fisher organizations and/or corporations). Implementing a system of fishing gear marking requires extensive effort from the IOTC Secretariat and CPCs in terms of awareness raising and communication. Considering the diversity of CPCs, which are predominately developing states, implementing a system of fishing gear marking in the IOTC area will require careful consideration in terms of capacity-building requirements and financial assistance, especially for the least developed states and Small Island Developing States. As requested by IOTC, a draft resolution for implementing a system of fishing gear marking for the IOTC area of competence has been prepared.

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